TRENTON, N.J. — A coalition of 21 state attorneys general, led in part by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, filed suit Monday challenging Trump administration conditions placed on federal grants intended for crime victim services.
The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Department of Justice is unlawfully requiring states to assist in federal immigration enforcement in order to receive funding under the Victims of Crime Act, known as VOCA. The act, enacted in 1984, provides grants for services such as victim advocacy, emergency shelter, medical expenses, funeral costs, crime scene cleanup, and sexual assault forensic exams.
Platkin said the conditions would restrict access to critical resources for crime victims. “We are filing suit today to stand up for our residents, and for the law, which prevents these unlawful conditions on Congressionally-authorized funding,” he said in a statement.
The complaint was filed jointly by attorneys general from New Jersey, California, Delaware, Illinois, and Rhode Island, along with 16 other states and the District of Columbia. It asks the court to block the administration from enforcing the new grant requirements.
VOCA funding provides more than $1 billion annually to states and assists nearly 9 million crime victims nationwide, according to the attorneys general.
